Court shows mercy after elderly man with knife threatened neighbour

Justice

Published:12:01Monday 13 February 2017

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A court took sympathy on a poorly, elderly man who armed himself with a knife and threatened a neighbour after a row about a noisy TV.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Thursday, February 9, how Paul James Else, 70, of Brierley Road, Unstone, had complained to a next door neighbour that a television had been too loud but after they exchanged words Else brandished a knife at his neighbour from his garden.

Prosecuting solicitor Rod Chapman said: “Else had knocked on his neighbour’s door and he had looked out to see the defendant who told him he wanted him to turn the volume down on his TV because it had been getting on his nerves.

“There was a bit of an argument and the neighbour was taken aback and said he was having a laugh and he made a further comment to the effect Else was not right in the head.”

The defendant returned to his garden, according to Mr Chapman, and the neighbour observed from his window that Else had picked up a knife and was pointing it at him.

Else accepted picking up and pointing the knife and saying to his neighbour that he could “stick” him with it.

The complainant revealed that he had been left upset and frightened and concerned for his and wife’s safety.

Else told police he had been suffering with stress at the time of the incident and he lost his temper because he was not thinking clearly.

The defendant, who has never been before a court before, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour after the incident on January 22.

Defence solicitor Kirsty Sargent said the consequences of the defendant’s actions have laid heavily with him and he has been very upset.

She added that Else is not a well man and he did not mean what he had said and he had been shaking when he had gone back into his property and he knew he had done something extremely stupid and officers later described him as a nervous wreck.

Ms Sargent said the defendant has put forward an apology to the complainant and he is genuinely remorsefully.

Magistrates sentenced Else to eight weeks of custody suspended for 12 months and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.